“The notion of giving something up for Lent is so misunderstood. For some people it’s ‘Let’s give up some food and lose some weight’ instead of fasting to remind ourselves that our lives are so dependent on God alone.” the Reverend Darrel Proffitt. When Fr. Darrel spoke those words just before Lent started last year, it was the first time I’d heard fasting mentioned from an Episcopal pulpit in years. They sent me on a deep dive into fasting and how it is practiced in the Episcopal Church and across the Anglican Communion. The following essay is the result.